The Face of the Lord: Contemplating the Divine Son Through the Four Senses of Sacred Scripture

Is it possible to "see God"? A close examination of the Bible suggests that answering this question is more complex―and interesting―than one might imagine. Following The Word of the Lord and The House of the Lord, this sweeping conclusion to Steven C. Smith's trilogy asks whether it is possible to see God. After properly framing the question and citing scriptural examples, Smith takes the reader on an epic journey into the literal and spiritual meanings of biblical interpretation.

Smith's thesis is that the multiplicity of "senses" is a pathway and progression toward the face of the Lord. He leads the reader through five Old Testament theophany scenes, beginning with the patriarch Jacob "wrestling" with God and concluding with Job's contending with the Voice from the Whirlwind. These five encounters span all three parts of the Old Testament: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.

A tour de force much like Smith's previous books, The Face of the Lord thoroughly examines each biblical episode from the standpoint of the Literal, Allegorical, Tropological (Moral), and Anagogical (Heavenly) senses. Smith engages all of the relevant literature―from ancient Jewish sources to Christian medieval masters to present-day theologians―without taking his eye off the central question: Can we see God? The result is a fresh, robust exploration of Sacred Scripture, drawing upon ancient, medieval, and contemporary exegesis in pursuit of this fascinating biblical question.

Steven C. Smith is associate professor of Biblical exegesis, University of Saint Mary of the Lake (Mundelein, IL).